Have you seen the movie WALL-E yet? I will try not to tell you too much if you have not. WALL-E is a garbage robot left on planet Earth to clean mass amounts of debris while humans wait on spaceships for the all-clear to return. Seven hundred years have gone by since the human mass departure and WALL-E is practically the only robot still functioning.
He remains operational by removing parts from others of his kind, and has a little cockroach friend for companionship. Like curious humans, WALL-E is attracted to shiny small objects he finds in the trash heaps. In his small garbage truck he has quite the cache with jewelry, toys, plastic cutlery, etc..
Although WALL-E is solar powered, his little friend cockroach needs food. On this barren Earth, what is a roach to eat? Why a 700-year-old-Twinkie! WALL-E seems to have collected those, too.
I bet you are nodding your head and saying, “well, yeah,” right now. This urban legend is widely known, but Steve Ettlinger, author of Twinkie, Deconstructed, claims the soft sponge cake has a shelf-life of 25 days. Although, it is true, without preservatives it would not last past a day.
How does one man come to write 268 pages on the sweet all-American snack? It was a hot summer day and dad was enjoying the creamy delicious treat while his son stood nearby eating ice cream. As was Ettlinger’s habit, he flipped the package over to read the ingredients aloud. When he was finished his son innocently asked, “Daddy, what’s polysorbate 60?”
It was at this point Ettlinger realized he had a problem. He enjoyed fielding questions from his son, but this one stumped him. Did it come from the fruit of a sorbate tree? Was it a distant cousin of soy beans? Could it be a new vitamin on the market? For that matter, is polysorbate 60 in the ice cream his son was currently eating?
Ettlinger writes a chapter for each ingredient found in a Twinkie-like cake. The company, that makes Twinkies, refused him the full recipe and its trademarked name. They only work with writers “who are merely reminiscing about their sweet childhood memories.”
Follow along on Ettlinger’s quest as he dissects the ingredients to explain what is grown, made, and mined.
Note: Fourth book for Joy's Non-Fiction Five Challenge.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Twinkie, Deconstructed (copy)
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21 comments:
Well, Maggie, sounds like this book may end my life long guilty love affair with the Twinkie! I am on a health kick right now, so I may be strong enough to take it! HA!This book sounds so interesting!
He gives the Twinkie the respect it deserves, Susie! Thaks for the complement! :)
I just saw wall-e. And I just read about a guy in an office who has had a twinkie sitting on his shelf for 30 days, to see how long it lasts. Maybe it was quoted from this book? Which I do want to read now.
It was dry at times, but I think he covered processed foods extremely well, Jeane! Yes! The book says 25 days. I bet it is in an air conditioned room! Cheating!?! Isn't that funny how things unrelated seem to mashup! :)
LOL that sounds like a hoot! I'm adding that one to my list to look up one day. :D
Ew, Medbie! I hope you get a chance to see WALL-E, too! It is SOOOO good! :)
Wall-E totally looks like the robot from "Short Circuit"... minus the cheesy 80's style of course
You are so right, Patrick! That's funny! :)
Sounds like a book I gotta buy. I love Twinkies.
sounds interesting (the book), the movie, I may watch it only after it's on AMC.
I'm a Little Debbie girl myself, Violette! I guess my mother though the oatmeal was good for me or it was cheaper than a Twinkie?!? :)
We both read it and enjoyed it in our home, Sage. Does this mean you don't go to the movies?
Yep, I saw Wall-E and afterwards explained to my kids that is why we don't eat Twinkies!
For some reason I thought they had a half life of like 200 years?
You are rasining them right, QB!!! I hope you are out having a little fun before we have to be back to work! ;D
Diane - That is too funny! They do mine for minerals, but I didn't read about anything being radio active! ;D
I've had wonderful company for about 3 weeks and my blogging has lagged behind. But it's o.k. because when I catch up to favorite blogs like yours I can settle down and spend a lot of time reading back and catching up. Some great posts. I occasionally eat a Twinkie but I always feel quilty while I'm doing it. My grandchildren were just asking me this week if I had seen Wall-e. Sounds like I'll love it just as much as "Monsters Inc."
Have a great week.
Judy
Is a butterscotch krimpet considered a Twinkie? I never touch the Twinkie with the jelly inside, but I do LOVE those krimpets! And I never read the list of ingredients(for a reason!).
Hi Judy of Grand Life - I'm on vaca right now and missing your grand blog, too! Wall-e is a rather adult movie, too. I kept thinking while watching whether there is enough silliness for kids to stay interested. I'll let you judge. :)
Hubby and I are wondering just what a buttersctch krimpet equates to here in the South? We agree though, best not to look at the incredients! Ignorance is Bliss! :)
Maggie, I love your blog so I nominated you for a blog award here:
bookfan-mary.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-award-nomination.html
Holy cow, what an interesting-sounding book! I'm going to see if my library has it. Thanks for the tip.
I coulda sworn I made a comment on this post - anywhoo! I've never much cared for Twinkies, but I love the name. And Wall-e was a great movie - it even made cockroaches come off as cute, no small feat.
Aw, thanks MARY! I'll promise I will post it when I get a little time. Look for it around August 3rd along with another award! How Kewl!!! :)
Enjoy, Chris! :)
Didn't you feel for the little roach when Wall-e ran over him, Lesley! ;)
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